Column IJsbrand Velzeboer: Tendon power generation

In my view, the gym is a source of energy waste. While rows of determined participants try to burn calories in pursuit of a slimmer waistline and/or a more muscular torso, the air conditioning blasts cold air down everyone’s necks to provide much-needed cooling. In an era of energy awareness, such a sweatshop turns the world upside down. Surely there’s a smarter way…

First, some figures. A recreational cyclist generates around 150 watts of power per hour; professional cyclists can produce as much as 500 watts. When they imagine themselves sprinting for the finish line, that figure can even exceed 1,300 watts. An interesting fact for any employer looking to keep staff fit while lowering the company’s energy bill. Every business has a space that could be converted for this type of power generation. Think of the spice loft, an empty office, or a corner of the warehouse (those places where very exciting things sometimes happen). It’s a win-win situation: your employees become fitter, while the gym full of spinning bikes generates free energy.

How many cyclists would you need? A dairy plant processing around 500 million liters of milk per year consumes approximately 25,000,000 to 35,000,000 kWh of electricity annually. That is equivalent to the yearly electricity consumption of roughly 10,000 households. On average, that comes to about 95,000 kWh per day. This means you would need more than 600 recreational cyclists on-site to keep things running. However, with a management team of hard-driving taskmasters and a bit of extra performance pressure, you could get by with just 190 spinning-bike riders.

There are, of course, a few risks. The first is overexertion and the resulting absenteeism. The second is that participants may demand substantial lunch packages as fuel; otherwise, they’ll fall off their bikes. You could always dangle a juicy incentive in front of them: power-generating cyclists receive a nice year-end sweatshop bonus. But that expense does need to be factored into the final calculation. Third, you run the risk of being accused of exploitation, but then again, it’s still worth running the numbers. There’s bound to be some subsidy scheme or employee well-being fund somewhere that could finance such a cycling program.

IJsbrand Velzeboer
Curative Food Technologist